The Self-Injury Ruse

As Huaiqing waved and took the pearl, he glanced at the fox's tail, at the stunningly beautiful enchantress with a smile, and then at Xu Qi'an with a sincere expression.

Then, she reached out and took the Merfolk Pearl.

The moment the bead touched his hand, it emitted a clear and bright light, just like the light bulb in Xu Qi'an's previous life, dazzling and bright enough even in the near-noon sky.

"It can even glow!"

Huaiqing let out a soft "Eh," his expression and tone showing some surprise.

With this bead, she no longer needed to light candles in her palace, and the bead's light was clear and bright, much more dazzling than candlelight.

What a rare and wonderful treasure!

After she finished speaking, she noticed that Xu Qi'an and the Nine-Tailed Fox were looking at her with strange expressions.

But their expressions were different.

Xu Qi'an's eyes and expression were complex, conveying joy, teasing, relief, tenderness, smugness, helplessness, and more. Huaiqing hadn't seen such complex emotions on his face in a long time.

The Nine-Tailed Fox, on the other hand, seemed to be mocking, suppressing a laugh, and harboring a hint of hostility.

Huaiqing was quick-witted and immediately noticed something amiss.

Just then, she saw the Nine-Tailed Fox burst into laughter, his face full of mockery, and he said with a grin:

Legend has it that if you hold Merfolk Pearl in your hand and see your beloved, it will glow.

"I thought that the ruler of a country, the dignified empress, was something special, but it turns out that she is just like any other woman, deeply in love with a philandering and lustful man."

"Tsk tsk, you've kept it well hidden. This country's emperor has seen countless women, but I never realized you liked Silver Gong Xu so much."

Huaiqing looked at the Merfolk Pearl in her hand, her face paled, and then a captivating blush rose to her cheeks.

She suddenly looked at Xu Qi'an, her beautiful eyes flashing with shame, anger, embarrassment, and awkwardness, just like when Xu Ningyan and Lin'an's wedding was held, and Protector Yuan had laid bare her true feelings.

She never expected Xu Qi'an to use this method to "ambush" her.

"This, Your Majesty."

Xu Qi'an coughed, just about to warm things up and ease the Empress's embarrassment, when he saw her flushed cheeks suddenly turn pale.

Then, she looked at him with eyes filled with utter disappointment and hidden sadness.

Huaiqing said coldly:

Are you feeling quite smug?

Huh? What kind of attitude is this? Are they angry because they're embarrassed? Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment.

Huaiqing coldly waved his sleeve, sending the Merfolk Pearl flying back.

Xu Qi'an reached out and took it, cradling it in his palm. He habitually raised his qi to prevent it from actually touching his hand.

He suddenly understood the reason for Huaiqing's anger.

If the Merfolk Pearl glows when the holder is facing their beloved, it shows no abnormality when the holder holds Merfolk Pearl.

What does this mean?

This means Xu Qi'an doesn't love anyone.

No wonder Huaiqing was disappointed and angry.

This woman's mind works way too fast! Xu Qi'an was holding the Merfolk Pearl when there was actually a layer of energy between his palm and the Merfolk Pearl.

This way, nothing unusual would happen, and Huaiqing wouldn't notice anything amiss. Furthermore, a deeper concern was that once Huaiqing learned about the Merfolk Pearl's properties, he might turn to him and ask:

"Why does the bead glow?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox chimed in, stirring up trouble. "Yes, because of whom?"

That's really awkward.

He sighed, withdrew his aura, and grasped the Merfolk Pearl.

Thus, in the eyes of the Nine-Tailed Fox and Huaiqing, the Merfolk Pearl shone with a clear and bright light.

Huaiqing's cold expression quickly melted away, the disappointment and sadness in his eyes disappeared, and he stared blankly at the Merfolk Pearl.

"Oh dear, so Silver Gong Xu has been secretly in love with her all along."

The Nine-Tailed Fox cried out in surprise, blinking her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, and said shyly:

"This... this... we are of different races, we cannot love each other."

Xu Qi'an wanted to spit in her face and yell, "Get out! Get out!"

To avoid a repeat of what just happened, he retrieved the Merfolk Pearl and cupped his hands in greeting:

"I have been at sea for several months and must return to my residence first."

Huaiqing did not stop him, and nodded slightly.

"I want to visit the Xu Residence residence too!"

"Nine-Tailed Fox," she said sweetly.

Xu Qi'an ignored him, the large eye on his wrist lit up, and he teleported away.

The Nine-Tailed Fox swayed her waist and twisted her hips as she ran out of the imperial study, transforming into a white rainbow and disappearing.

The palace was deserted, the vast imperial study was quiet. The eunuchs and palace maids had long since left. Huaiqing sat in the empty imperial study, hearing his heart pounding in his chest.

She cupped her face in her hands and gently exhaled.

Well, that's a way of conveying her feelings. The hot potato is in Xu Ningyan's hands, so she's not going to bother with it anymore.

The Northern Territory.

Notes to the Geographical Records of the Nine Provinces:

Snake Mountain is barren of vegetation but rich in gold and stones. A large snake named Zhu Jiu lives in the mountain.

The iron cavalry of the Jing Kingdom erected a sacrificial altar more than ten meters high on the top of Snake Mountain. In the four directions of the altar, there were mounds of corpses of the demon and barbarian races.

"Rain Master Nalan, everything is ready."

Xiahou Yushu, the ruler of the Jing Kingdom, ascended the altar and bowed respectfully.

On the altar, Nalan Tianlu stood with his hands behind his back, nodding slightly.

"Start!"

Xiahou Yushu grabbed a torch and threw it into the brazier. The oil ignited instantly, and flames shot up from the brazier, billowing black smoke.

Thick black smoke billowed into the azure sky, clearly visible.

The Jing Kingdom cavalry on and at the foot of the mountain laid down their weapons, knelt on the ground, interlocked their thumbs, wrapped their left palms around their right palms, closed their eyes, and prayed to the Shaman God.

The faith of tens of thousands of people converged, seemingly silent, yet to Nalan Tianlu's ears, it sounded like a grand summons.

In the distance, at Jingshan City, the statue of the Shaman God trembled with a loud boom, and black mist billowed out, drifting gracefully towards the Northern Territory.

The black mist traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, reaching Snake Mountain tens of thousands of miles away in just a dozen breaths. It dispersed atop Snake Mountain, transforming into a blurry face.

Everyone on Snake Mountain felt the sky darken, as if night had fallen.

Xiahou Yushu didn't dare open his eyes, but he sensed an overwhelming force enveloping the entire Snake Mountain.

The Shaman God arrived; the altar had summoned the Shaman God. He was startled and quickly cleared his mind of distractions, becoming even more devout and respectful.

Nalan Tianlu bowed to the enormous human face in the sky, then took out a celadon bowl from his sleeve. The bowl was filled with clear water, and a red snake as thick as a chopstick was swimming in the water.

Zhu Jiu!

It was sealed inside the bowl by Nalan Tianlu.

Nalan Tianlu placed the bowl on the table covered with yellow silk and took a few steps back.

The blurry human face in the sky opened its mouth, which could swallow mountains, rivers, the sun, and the moon, and inhaled forcefully.

The Flood Dragon in the bowl inevitably flew up, detached from the celadon bowl, and was sucked into the mouth of the Shaman God.

The corpses scattered in the four directions of the altar, exuding wisps of bloody aura, were also inhaled by the Shaman God.

Although the National Fate the Yan Kingdom was handed over to the Buddha, the Fate of the Northern Territory compensated for the loss of the Shaman God. Nalan Tianlu thought to himself.

Although they had probed the Superintendent intentions and realized that he had no other means of advancement besides supporting Xu Qi'an's ascension to Martial God.

However, the Buddha did not allow Great Feng the Transcendent experts of the Great Feng Dynasty to die or be injured. The plan to devour Leizhou was all bark and no bite. Therefore, the Shaman God Cult's move was, in general, a huge loss.

Nalan Tianlu even felt that the Buddha's decisive retreat was mostly due to the mentality of "taking advantage of everything anyway" and not giving the Shaman God Cult a chance to profit.

Before long, the Shaman God's gaping maw slowly closed, and a voice entered Nalan Tianlu's ears:

"Well done."

The voice was neither male nor female, but grand and majestic.

Nalan Tianlu remained in the bowing posture, without moving.

"Go back to Jingshan City quickly."

The majestic voice sounded again, then dissipated along with the dark clouds.

The Xu Residence.

In the study, Xu Qi'an looked at Xu Xinnian across the table and said:

That's how it happened.

The incomparably handsome Xu Erlang pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed:

"This is far beyond the pressure I should be able to bear at my level. What can a mere mortal like me do but despair?"

Xu Qi'an patted his younger brother on the shoulder:

"You can be in charge of devising strategies; a strategist doesn't need to fight on the front lines."

After saying that, he rubbed the Little Bean's head and said:

Have you been dreaming about big bugs lately?

Xu Lingyin held a stack of osmanthus cakes in her arms. The osmanthus flowers were fragrant in autumn, and the family made osmanthus cakes every day.

"Yes!" the Little Bean mumbled in response.

"I keep saying I want to turn into bones, but what if my master and Baiji gnaw on me after I turn into bones?"

She believed that "gu" (蛊) meant bone, because in daily life, her mother constantly scolded her, saying:

Is it because my bones have hardened?

Or to put it another way:

Lingyin, I made you some pork rib soup today.

Xu Xinnian sighed:

"So this is what it means to be unable to escape calamity without being transformed by the Gu poison."

If the Transcendent Rank of each major system were to replace the Heavenly Dao, all cultivators within that system would ascend to heaven with their entire families upon achieving enlightenment.

The Gu God is urging Xu Lingyin to cultivate and transform into Gu as soon as possible, because he is grooming her as a trusted confidante.

Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice:

"If you use Gu, Lingyin will become a Gu beast with low intelligence, only following her instincts and unable to retain her humanity."

"Of course, in the eyes of the Gu God, humanity is completely meaningless."

If the transformation of Gu didn't have such severe aftereffects, the Gu Race would have long since turned against the Gu God, and they wouldn't have passed down the idea of sealing the Gu God generation after generation.

Upon hearing Xu Lingyin's delicate eyebrows furrowed.

"As stupid as Baiji?"

She looked terrified.

You and Baiji are equally bad; where do you get the audacity to look down on two brothers who are thinking the same thing?

However, even if one's intelligence is lacking, emotions are still essential.

Xu Lingyin loses her emotions, she will become a Gu beast that only knows how to eat.

At that time, the Gu beast Lingyin will appear, and all living things will be wiped out, leaving not a blade of grass.

The four Transcendent Rank... just thinking about it makes me despair. Xu Xinnian grunted in response, then said irritably:

"A strategist is a strategist, not some dog."

"The great calamity is a matter for the future, and so is despair, but before the great calamity arrives, there is still much that I, elder brother, can do."

"Among the four Transcendent Rank, Buddha has already gained momentum. Even if my elder brother becomes Half-Step Martial God, he cannot rashly enter the Western Regions. The Buddhist Order is no longer a concern."

"The Gu God has no affiliated forces. Brother, you can simply move the Gu Race to the Central Plains in advance and then wait for Him to break free of the seal. There is no better way."

"But the Wilderness and the Shaman God Cult require special attention."

"After the former returns to its peak, it may gather the descendants of Gods and Devils overseas and bring them under its command. This is an extremely powerful force. Brother, you should send people to gather the descendants of Gods and Devils as soon as possible and turn them into your own people."

"The latter, the Shaman God has not yet broken free of the seal, while you are now Half-Step Martial God, capable of destroying the Shaman God Cult. But I think the Shaman System excels at divination and wouldn't leave such a large loophole."

"Indeed, my brother has the makings of a prime minister in the new year, "Xu Qi'an nodded in satisfaction.

"No matter what tricks the Shaman God Cult has up its sleeve, they can't hide forever. I will make them pay the price. As for gathering the descendants of Gods and Devils, who should I send?"

Xu Xinnian looked towards the door, a strange smile on his face:

"Let me have my new sister-in-law, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an also pinched the bridge of his nose, just like Xu Xinnian.

"If it weren't for the fact that she came with me on this sea voyage, I would have hung her up and beaten her right now."

After being away for several months, Dalang returned, and everyone was quite happy. But suddenly, a charming fox spirit appeared out from behind Dalang, smiling and saying:

"Greetings, sisters. I am Xu Ningyan's demon companion, and from now on, I will be your elder sister."

Xu Qi'an said no, no, she was just joking. We are completely innocent, as the sun and moon can bear witness.

But nobody believed him.

Who would believe someone who spends all their time listening to music in brothels?

That's just how fox spirits are; they thrive on chaos and cause trouble everywhere. Xu Qi'an snatched Xu Lingyin's pastries, then pressed her head down and subdued her.

Seeing his younger sister crying in distress made him feel much better.

Xu Xinnian showed no intention of standing up for his younger sister; instead, he stuffed two pieces of pastry into his mouth.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head out now."

Where to go?

"Let's go see a play."

Inner hall.

The Nine-Tailed Fox fox sipped her tea, fiddling with pastries in her small hands, her Lin'an sweeping over Lin An with a stern face, Mu Nanzhi with a cold smile, Xu Lingyue with an expressionless face, Yeji with a resentful look, and her aunt who was afraid of monsters and didn't know what to do with her small hands.

"My sisters really can't take a joke," the Nine-Tailed Fox said with a laugh.

"Silver Gong Xu and I are completely innocent."

She claims to be innocent, yet keeps referring to them as "little sisters."

Mu Nanzhi said "Oh":

"You, innocent and pure, went to sea with him and faced life and death?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox herself just said that she had gone through life and death.

"It's just a matter of each getting what they need," the Nine-Tailed Fox said, feeling wronged.

"If I really had something going on with him, why would I just stand by and watch him seduce the Merfolk Queen and even accept a token of their love?"

The tension in the inner hall suddenly escalated.

Even his aunt thought that the Dalang had gone too far.

As Xu Xinnian reached the door, he turned back to look at his elder brother in surprise—"Do you still have a lover overseas?"

When Xu Xinnian turned around, he was stunned.

The elder brother before me had white hair like frost, looked tired, and his eyes held the vicissitudes of life.

In an instant, he seemed to have aged decades.

Xu Xinnian instantly understood the ruse.

PS: Updated first, revised later.